The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, (GNAT), Thomas Musah, has expressed concern about the low wages Ghanaian workers receive in the nation.
According to him, the general income of workers affects the quantum of pension benefits they are given, which needs to be looked at immediately.
He said that, with the right income, workers going on pension should at least be able to afford a two-bedroom house.
Speaking at the GNAT Investment Forum held at the University of Ghana on Wednesday, June 29, he said, “It has become very necessary that the issues of income in this country should be looked at. We cannot run away from it with the issue of the basic salary.
“That is why we are organizing this forum to look at, what can be done to ensure that when workers are retiring, they go better. There is one thing that we have been asking over the years, at least, if for nothing at all, when the worker is retiring, he should be able to afford a two-bedroom house,” He said
Speaking at the same event, the Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang said the scheme is the best pension scheme workers can get anywhere.
He explained that the management of SSNIT has been carrying out indexation to meet the rising rate of inflation which is one of the reasons the scheme is best for workers.
“SSNIT undertakes indexation every year and the indexation matches inflation. SSNIT is aware of that and so we compensate for inflation.
“I will urge people not to throw the baby out with the bad water. The narrative is that SSNIT is not good, people connived with their employers not to pay their SSNIT, the SSNIT scheme is the best that you can ever get anywhere else as far as pensions is concerned, if you don’t join to contribute you are harming yourself,” he said
Source: ghanaweb
